A printed circuit board (PCB) is used in nearly every consumer and industrial electronic device. The PCB structurally supports multiple electronic components. Traces on the PCB supply signals to the electronic components. A PCB may have a one-sided single layer, a double-sided single layer, or multiple layers. PCBs with multiple layers have one or more layers of “printed” circuits separated by one or more layers of insulation. The electronic components on the surface connect through plated holes drilled down to a specific layer of printed circuit.
The increasing high current can cause burnouts, open circuits, or brownouts because adequate area is not available on the PCB for power supply. Further, such current crowding leads to high resistance (IR) drop. The increased IR drops affects the power deliver to components based on length of the current path. The increased IR drops cause additional thermal heat, which may cause de-lamination of the PCB.
In addition, some high density PCBs have limited space for through hole vias that transfer currents to other layers. If fewer through hole vias fit on the PCB, more current travels through each via, creating currents above tolerable levels.